BGSU Poll

The BGSU Poll conducts regular statewide polling in Ohio to better understand citizen views on a variety of issues and political preferences. A team of scholars working in the Bowling Green State University Democracy and Public Policy Research Network are responsible for developing and analyzing each poll. The BGSU Poll partners with the national polling firm YouGov to obtain representative samples for each survey based upon relevant demographic data.

February 2026 Poll Results   

The Democracy and Public Policy Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University has released the results of its first national web-based poll conducted from Feb. 13-18, 2026, with insight from 1,200 U.S. registered voters.

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.

The poll was conducted under the direction of BGSU professors Dr. Robert Alexander, Dr. Melissa Miller, Dr. David Jackson, and Dr. Joshua Boston in partnership with YouGov. 

President Trump's approval low as concerns over the economy and tariffs persist

"Consistent with a great deal of national polling, we find Donald Trump deep underwater and growing concerns about the direction of the country, his handling of the economy and his tariff policies. If the history of second term presidents is a guide, it is hard to see how these numbers will markedly improve over the next three years.”
- Robert Alexander, professor of political science, BGSU

President Trump received a job approval rating of 41% in this poll and has a net favorability rating of -19 (38-57). Among those who voted in 2024, more than 1 in 10 Trump voters now regret their vote to some degree (13%). Nearly 6 in 10 respondents (59%) say the country is on the wrong track while approximately one-third (34%) say it is moving in the right direction.

When asked to identify their three most important issues, voters identified the economy as the most important issue (42%), with threats to democracy (32%), healthcare (31%), immigration (31%), and inflation (29%) also appearing most frequently. A majority (55%) believe the economy has gotten worse in the last year, with only 28% saying it has gotten better.

Taken before the Supreme Court’s ruling that struck down Trump’s tariffs, the poll finds 58% oppose his tariff policies, and most believe tariffs will benefit the wealthy (72%) and large corporations (66%). In addition, 69% believe they will not personally benefit from the tariffs, and large majorities do not think small businesses (67%), labor unions (67%), the working class (65%), the middle class (64%), or the auto industry (56%) stand to benefit either.

Democrats with early midterm advantage and early look at 2028 hopefuls

“Democrats made historic gains in Trump’s first midterm election in 2018, and our polling suggests they are once again in a good position to make gains in this year’s midterm election.”
- Robert Alexander, professor of political science, BGSU

The poll finds an edge for Democrats with the party leading the generic congressional ballot by 8 points (49-41) over Republicans. Democrats also report being more enthusiastic than Republicans to vote in this fall’s midterm election by an 18-point margin (62-44).

When asked about 2028 hopefuls, JD Vance is the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination with 51% support among Republicans, followed next by Marco Rubio at 15%. Among Democrats, California Governor Gavin Newsom holds a slight edge over former Vice President Kamala Harris (21-18), with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pete Buttigieg pulling 11% each.

Concerns about democracy and ICE activities 

“The events in Minnesota have served as a flashpoint for ICE and most Americans don’t like what they are seeing with the agency. That 1 in 5 Americans personally know someone who has protested ICE is somewhat surprising, and we find large majorities that are concerned with ICE tactics and government overreach.”
– Robert Alexander, professor of political science, BGSU

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) believe checks and balances are currently not effective, 57% are dissatisfied with how democracy is working in the country, and a plurality believes the executive branch has too much power (45%).

Regarding civil liberties, 58% believe freedom from unreasonable search and seizure is under threat, 57% believe freedom of speech is under threat, 55% believe freedom of press is under threat, and 51% believe freedom of assembly is under threat.

More than 9 in 10 say they have been paying attention to ICE raids under Trump’s tenure in office. Approximately 6 in 10 oppose agents wearing masks, driving in unmarked cars, or the raids in general. One in five Americans say they personally know someone who has participated in an ICE protest and 1 in 10 say they have participated in one themselves.